Building structure



April 2.5, 1933:

G. ALEXANDER BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed April 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l w; 0% nn wa je@ iv Mzesses: @cazz 2066 .J

G. ALEXANDER BUILDING STRUCTURE April, 25, 1933.

Filed April 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Shee't 2 zesses.'

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUs'rAF ALEXANDER, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINoIs BUILDING STRUCTURE Application filed April 3, 1931. Serial No. 527,485.

'5 sought to advantageously attain maximum benefit in the utilization of minimum space. To this end theinvention has for its principal object to produce a practical and eficient built-in unit embodying several separate utilities which, ordinarily, are separately provided in different rooms, whereby to have the use of each of said utilities in a single room.

The invention consists in movably mounting the unit so that the respective component utilities thereof may be brought successively into operative relation to the room, at will, and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts of the structure as hereinafter more fully described and pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating an adaptation of the invention,-

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section; andV Fig. 2 is a View partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section.

Referring now to the drawings, the wall portion 10, ceiling 11 and floor 12.0fthe general building structure are shown. In connection with therfurther description of the structure,the space A will be referred to general-ly as the main room of an apartment, the space B as an auxiliary chamber or closet, and the space C as another auxiliary chamber for 3 specially desired purposes.

Within the chamber or closet B, as shown, a vertical post or shaft 13 is 'mounted with its lower end portion in a supporting base 14 fixed to the floor,-b.y the bolts 15 or other suitablesecuring means, the upper end `portion of the post or shaft being secured in the portion 16 at the meeting ends of the convergent arms 17 of a bracing bracket whoseopposite ends 18 are bolted or otherwise secured to the wall 45 10. Rotatable on the post or shaft 13 are supporting frames or spiders comprising the central hub portions 19 and arms 20, the outer end portions of said arms being flanged, as at 21 and 22, in substantially rectangular rela* tion. The hub portions 19 are rotatable freely about the post or shaft 13, and they are supported on collars 23 and 24, respectively, the upper collar 23 being pinned to the post or shaft 13, as at 25, or by other suitable means of attachment, while the lower collar 2l,- as 55 shown, rests onthe supporting base 1l, suitable anti-friction bearings being preferably provided between thev membcrs19 and 23 and 24. As shown, bearings 26 of the ball type are provided, the arrangement being such that 6 the balls take the lateral thrust upon the shaft as well as affording an anti-frictionsupport for-the unitary structure now to be described.

In the preferred construction and arrangement of the utilitarian unit the complete body 6 structure, designated generally by the numeral 2"?, is of substantially square form in top plan and horizontal section, with square reentrant corner portions 28. This unitary body, as shown, comprises four separate rectangular compartments 29, 30, 31, and 32, each of which is tov be utilized separately 4for a given purpose. For example, the compartment 29, as illustrated, maybe utilized .to house the folding bed, the details of which will be presently more fully described, while the compartment 30 may be used as a china closet or the like, it being provid-ed with the usual shelving 33 as shown more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. partments 31 and 32, which, as shown, are relatively deeper than the two other compartments29 vand 30, may be utilized as wardrobes or for other purposes, as may be 8 desired. r

The folding bed which is provided in the compartment 29 may be of any desirable construction and arrangement. As shown, it comprises a box-like main body having the wall 34 which serves the dual purpose of a closure for the compartment 29 in the closed con-dition of the bed and as a bed bottom support in the opened condition of the bed.

This body, as shown, has the two side walls 95 35 and transverse wall 36 at itshinged end, but being open at its opposite end. Slidable Within the main body is a box-like extension frame having the bottom wall 37, side walls 38 and outer endwall 3.9.

y The bed main frame is hingedly supported,

Obviously, the comas at 40, to the upper end of a lower outer wall portion 41 of the compartment 29, and at its opposite end has a leaf 42 hinged thereto, as at 43, said leaf having leg members 44 thereon which are connected by a cross brace 45, said structure affording a folding support for the bed main body frame in its opened condition. The bed body extension member is also provided with a supporting frame comprising the leg members 46 and cross brace 47 hinged to the corner portion of the end wall 39, as at 48.

As shown, a fold-able mattress comprising the two sections 49 and 50 may be conveniently stored in folded condition of the bed within the compartment 29, while in the opened condition of the bed the mattress sections 49 and 50 may be placed edgewise tcgether on the bottom Walls 34 and 37 of the bed main body and extension portions, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In addition to storing the mattress in the compartment 29, there is additional space, particularly between the end wall 343 of the bed body and the bottom 5l of t L compartment, for the storage of bedclothing, as at 52, and also above the mattress sections 49 and 50, for the storage of bedclothing, at 53.

As the unit is revolved about the supporting post or shaft 13 t-he respective compartments 29, 30, 31 and 32 are succcssiif'ely brought into operative relation to the room A, in which position that particular part of the devic-e protrudes some distance into the room, or, in other words, the longitudinal angular' Walls of the unit at opposite ends of said compartment are substantially flush with the normal side wall ofl the room. Cooperating with the unit are doors 54 and 55 which are hinged at opposite sides of the opening through which access is had to the auxiliary compartment or closet B, said doors, when closed, having their free vertical edge portions in close proximity to the adjacent side Walls of the compartment 29, 30, 31, or 32, as the case may be, whereby to lock the unit against rotation, said doors further adding to the artistic architectural and decorative effect of the room.

At the top of the entrance to the auxiliary compartment or closet B is an overhanging ledge or shelf 5G whose forward edge portion may be ornamented by suitable molding, as at 57, said ledge or shelf in addition to its ornamental effect serving as a mantle-piece or the like.

In some cases, depending on the height of' the ceiling and the vertical dimensions of the revoluble unit 27, the space I) (see Fig. 1 of the drawings) may be conveniently utilized as a. storage closet and the same may obviously be cedar lined or otherwise provided for the purpose of making it moth- PIQOf, access being had, thereto through a door 58 which, of course, may be designed so as to be in keeping with the style of architecture and general decorative scheme of the room. In this connection, also, it may be here noted that the doors to the respective compartments 30, 31 and 32, and the bed bottom wall 34 of the compartment 29 may be designed and paneled with the same artistic effect as the doors 54, 55 and 58. S0 too, the bases of the front walls of the several compartments 29, 30, 31 and 32 may be provided with a finishing molding 59 corresponding to the usual baseboard and molding of the room.

By the incorporation of the present invention in an apartment building structure increased efficiency is obtained in a limited floor space and all the advantages of several dilferent specially provided rooms of an 0rdinary residence are had in connection with a single living apartment, inasmuch as the several utilities of the revolving unit are contained Within the relatively small compass of restricted space between two adjoining apartments, which limited space not taken up for the accommodation of' this unit may be utilized for a bathroom and kitchenette along one wall of the living apartment, or, in cases of hotel rooms where no cooking is to be done the living room, of course, is smaller and yet the particular rotatable utility unit can be employed to advantage.

Obviously many changes may be made in the general structure and particular application of the invention without in the least departing from thc spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the speciiic construction and arrangement shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a building structure of the character described, a main compartment, an adjoined auxiliary compartment, the partition wall between said compartments having a communicable opening of given dimensions, and a multiple utility unit rotatable about a vertical axis within said auxiliary compartment, said utility unit comprising a plurality of separate utilitarian compartments each successively brought into cooperative relation to said main compartment through the communicable opening between the latter and said auxiliary compartment, and doors on the partition wall at the sides of said communicable opening cooperating with the positioned utilitarian compartment of said rotatable multiple utility unit for closing said communicable Wall opening and releasably holding, said utility unit in its cooperatively set position.

2. In combination with a building structure including a main compartment and a communicating auxiliary compartment, the

means of communication being through a rectangular wall opening a multiple utility unit comprising a polygonally arranged series of separate utilitarian compartments rotatable about a vertical axis within said auxiliary compartment whereby said utility unit compartments are brought successively into cooperative relation to said main compartment, the respective utility unit compartments being correspondingly arranged for projection into said main compartment through the said wall opening, and door members arranged at opposite sides of said wall opening in cooperative relation to said multiple utility unit whereby to releasably hold said unit with its selected utilitarian compartment in cooperative relation to said main compartment whereby to close said opening.

3. In an appartment structure, the combination of a main compartment, a communicating auxiliary compartment, the means of communication being vthrough a wall opening a utility unit comprising a multiplicity of separate utilitarian compartments movably mounted within said auxiliary compartment whereby to be brought successively into c0- operative relation to said main compartment through said wall opening, means cooperating with said utility unit for holding the latter releasably with its selected utilitarian compartment in cooperative working relation to said main compartment and for closing the opening of communication between said main compartment and said auxiliary compartment and completing the continuity of the ornamental wall scheme within said main compartment. Y

4. A multiple utility unit supported for rotation about a vertical axis, said unit comprising a plurality of rectangular utilitarian compartments arranged in polygonal series about the axis of the unit, said compartments having provision for access thereto through their peripheral walls, the meeting side walls of the respective compartments being in right angular relation to each other whereby the complete unit is provided with right angular 'reentrant corner portions and the several compartments project rectangularly, uniformly ripheral walls thereof, said housings being projected rec-tangularly and radially from the axis of the structure with uniformity of dimensions and adapted to be brought successively to a common wall opening of communication in working relation to a main compartment. l

6. In combination with a main compartment, and an auxiliary compartment having a common rectangular opening of communication with said principal apartment, a multiple utility unit rotatable about a vertical axis within said auxiliary compartment, said utility unit comprising a plurality of rectangular polygonally arranged utilitarian compartments, access to the respective utilitarian compartments being had through the peripheral walls thereof and said peripheral walls being successively brought uniformly into range of said common rectangular opening of communication between said main compartment and said auxiliary compartment, and door members at opposite sides of said rectangular opening of communication for cooperative releasable engagement with the adjacent sides of the positioned utilitarian compartment of said utility unit for completing the wall continuity of said main compartment and holding said utility unit in positioned working relation to said main compartment.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GUSTAF ALEXANDER.

and symmetrically so that their peripheral walls may be brought successively to a common wall opening of communication in working relation to a main compartment.

5. A unitary multiple compartment device of the character described, the same comprising a plurality of rectangular housings pla-ced edgewise together in polygonal arrangement, an axial supporting shaft located centrally of the structure, supporting frames secured to said housings and rotatably lmounted on said axial supporting shaft, access to the interior of the respective housings being had through provision in the pe'- 

